She said: "There comes a time in each and every one of our lives when we must choose to continue to spectate or stand up for what's right.

"To question what they said was wrong, why they were given authority and where their claims of danger and peril come from.

"Why should an aspiring someone lose their ability to earn a higher education to become that someone they were meant to be and why should you lose the ability to get public assistance in times of struggle and need?

She added: "A simple Google search will show prohibitionists don't know how to use Google - or just don't care to fact check and choose to use fearmongering to fool you.

"Who is willing to take a stand? I'm not afraid - clearly."

Many US states are considering the legalisation of cannabis after Colorado and Washington approved its sale in 2012, with a vote in Alaska planned for November 4.

And Egbe believes her notorious outburst has gained support for the pro-cannabis campaign.

"If you were to look at our Facebook messages, and our comments, and the emails that we’re getting, it’s people that have never cared to vote," she said.

"We already know that we're shifting things back to the right side of where it should be, and getting the support behind legalizing marijuana in Alaska on November 4th."

More than 20 US states already permit the licensed sale of medical marijuana.

However, Egbe, who covered numerous cannabis stories in the lead up to her resignation, has been accused of bias herself by opposition group 'Big Marijuana. Big Mistake. Vote No on 2'.

Group spokeswoman Deborah Williams said the group contacted KTVA to voice their concerns of how the drug was being featured.

"We asked for a meeting with the news director," she told Alaskan Daily News.

"We sat down and spent at least an hour pointing out what we thought were the biases and inaccuracies in her stories and providing him with the information we thought to be crucial to include."

Alaska Police echoed Mrs Williams' view, claiming Egbe was "only interested in information that supported her point of view".

Kalie Klaysmat, executive director of the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police, wrote a letter to KTVA news director Bert Rudman, stating: “She did not explore contrary information; she attacked it.

"That she seems to be the primary reporter covering marijuana issues and has such a strong personal opinion on this very divisive topic causes me to question the station's editorial judgment."

A funding campaign by the Alaska Cannabis Club on site IndieGoGO has already exceeded its $5,000 - £3,050 - target, with supporters pledging more than $6,300 - £3843 - in a day.

But despite the stunt making her an instant cannabis champion, pro-legalisation group Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) warned the frenzy surrounding Egbe's exit could overshadow her coverage of the drug.

CRMLA spokesman Taylor Bickford said rumours about her involvement in the cannabis trade had begun to gather pace prior to her resignation.